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10-05-2024, 06:06 PM
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine, May 7 (Reuters) - Rumbling out of its forest hideout, the hulking German-supplied howitzer has only a few minutes to fire before slipping back under cover to evade Russian surveillance in the skies above.
Across the hills and valleys of the east, Ukrainian artillery units play a cat-and-mouse game with Russian drones hunting high-value artillery weapons such as this self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000.
Moscow's troops have stepped up ground attacks along the 1,000-km (621-mile) front in the south and east of Ukraine, threatening some of the industrialised Donetsk region's last big cities held by Kyiv more than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Counterbattery efforts are crucial to suppressing enemy fire rains on Ukrainian lines & artillery units, and paves the way for Russian advances.
Crews including Reuters recently visited, part of 43rd Artillery Brigade, say they face increasing harassment from enemy drones have become a staple of Russia's arsenal.
There were (attacks) before, but not the same amount," said battery commander "Lyova", 27, using his call sign. "Now it's really scary."
Across the hills and valleys of the east, Ukrainian artillery units play a cat-and-mouse game with Russian drones hunting high-value artillery weapons such as this self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000.
Moscow's troops have stepped up ground attacks along the 1,000-km (621-mile) front in the south and east of Ukraine, threatening some of the industrialised Donetsk region's last big cities held by Kyiv more than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Counterbattery efforts are crucial to suppressing enemy fire rains on Ukrainian lines & artillery units, and paves the way for Russian advances.
Crews including Reuters recently visited, part of 43rd Artillery Brigade, say they face increasing harassment from enemy drones have become a staple of Russia's arsenal.
There were (attacks) before, but not the same amount," said battery commander "Lyova", 27, using his call sign. "Now it's really scary."
